Why Are You Crying? (Izuku X Nejire)
by A Glazed Donut
Summary: 3 friends meet a blue haired girl. Together, they power through their hero academia. Izuku x Nejire. (Im bad at summaries)
1. Nejire Hado: Origin

…………

One late night, in Musutafu….

"HEY! COME HERE, YOU USELESS SHIT!"

The voice of an angry Koharu Hado rang out throughout the Hado household, late at night. If you looked closely, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had a bit of a wobble in his step. He was very drunk, and his eyes spoke of no good fortune.

"Y-Yes, Sir?..."

A trembling 7 year old girl with sky blue hair descended the stairs, fear written in her eyes. She had a baggy grey shirt on, with ripped, saggy black pants. She had bruises on her arms, and if someone were to inspect closely, cuts and scars on her back. This girls name was Nejire Hado.

"YOU FUCKING MADE MY TEA WRONG! HOW THE FUCK DO YOU SCREW THIS UP??? WILL YOU EVER PROVE USEFUL IN ANY WAY, YOU LITTLE SHIT??? HUH?!?"

Nejire trembled badly, looking down at the floor. She was no stranger to being yelled at violently by her father, but even for him this was more than usual. However, Nejire was intelligent. She saw the signs of alcoholic influence, and the empty bottles on the floor, which had been drained of the liquor they recently held until her father returned from work, angry as ever.

"OUT! OUT! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! BEGONE FROM THIS HOUSE, YOU STUPID BRAT! YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER, STUPID, CLUELESS AND USELESS!"

Nejire had tolerated this sort of talk before, mostly out of fear. But hearing her father insult her mother so badly, who she viewed as the best person ever, she grew a bit rebellious. (A/N: Nejire's Mother is Aiko Hado and a pro hero. More will be revealed later.)

"SHUT UP! Mom was a hero, and was a better person than you'll ever be!"

The second she saw her father's face of pure fury, she knew she had made a mistake.

"What...What…….WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!!?!!!?" With anger practically radiating off of him, he marched to the kitchen….and pulled out a knife. Terror unlike anything she'd ever felt filled her. "COME HERE SO I CAN TEACH YOU YOUR PLACE!!!"

"AHHHH!" Nejire screamed.

Then, a miracle happened.

Nejire felt...something. She couldn't quite describe it. It felt like some sort of energy...and it also felt kinda familiar. As Nejire put up her hands in a seemingly fruitless attempt to protect herself, she felt this energy swell up in her. Then, it stared flowing through her arms, and the next thing she knew, blasts of energy were emitted from her hands, smashing into Koharu and sending him flying into the wall opposite the room.

I was never taken to the doctors for the quirk possession test...since I was always basically imprisoned in the house, forced to follow my fathers orders. But it appears that it manifested at the right moment.

**_Nejire Hado! Quirk: Wave Motion!_**

**_She can emit shockwaves of energy from her hands. The quantity and force of the shockwaves depends on her vitality/stamina._**

Koharu stood up and glared at her with even more hate. "SO YOU DO HAVE A QUIRK, EH??!? WELL GUESS WHAT! I DON'T CARE! COME HERE, YOU LITTLE BITCH, I'LL BEAT THAT STUPID ASS QUIRK OUT OF YOU!!"

Although she was trembling from head to toe, she steeled her courage. She put out her hands again, and prayed to whatever god there was to be able to shoot another shockwave.

She waited.

Koharu drew closer.

She waited some more.

He was almost there, and he brandished the knife.

She was losing hope……

But then, the god answered her, and a shockwave crashed into him and once again sent him into the wall, making him swear loudly.

Nejire seemed to regain her movement, and she turned on her heel and bolted out the door, which her father had forgotten to lock in his drunken trance. Despite the cold night in Musutafu, she felt infinitely more warm out here than she did in that prison disguised as a home. As she ran through the streets, her fathers screams fading behind her, she felt free for the first time in her life.

………….

"I'm so sorry, Izuku…" said a blonde haired boy.

(**_Mirio Togata! Quirk: Permeation! He can make his body able to pass through physical objects and surfaces.)_**

"It'll be ok." Consoled a timid dark haired boy.

(**Tamaki Amajiki! Quirk: Reappearance! He can manifest characteristics of things he eats as long as the food remains in his _system_.)**

"_Why? Why? Why me? I was so excited to find out what quirk I had...only to find out I have none._

_My dream of saving people with a smile...ruined. I can't save anyone now. Who's ever heard of a quirkless hero?"_

Izuku Midoriya sat against a tree, crying his eyes out, with his two friends Mirio Togata and Tamaki Amajiki next to him. Why did it have to happen to him? All he wanted was to help people. But without a quirk, how would he be able to save anyone? He would be useless, trying in vain to help people as they got hurt in the event of a rescue mission, but wouldn't be able to do anything.

He felt helpless, and devoid of emotion. For the first time in his life, he felt true misery. It was a terrible feeling….

"U-Uh, hello?"

Mirio and Tamaki tensed, and Izuku snapped his head up. They didn't recognize that voice. Who else would be up this late at night?

As his vision cleared of his tears, he saw a girl crouched in front of him. She had long, sky blue hair with eyes the same colour, and pale skin. She had dirty clothes on, with a scruffy look. She looked like she hadn't showered in a while.

"O-Oh, h-hello," said Izuku.

"Why are you crying?" She said with a somber look.

Mirio and Tamaki both raised an eyebrow. They didn't even know who she was. So why did she ask? Looking over at the green haired boy, he seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Izuku debated internally if he should tell this girl he had never met before anything. Instead of answering, he asked another question. "W-Why are you asking?" He said shakily.

The girl pouted a little. It was obvious she figured out they didn't trust her. She didn't seem to mind though, since she offered a friendly smile to them a few moments later.

"Sorry if that was a bit of a personal question. I just don't like seeing people cry." She said. "Not when I know how it feels like," she mumbled.

"Huh? What'd you say?" Asked Izuku.

"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it," she said, turning away.

After a few silent moments, Izuku spoke.

"I was told I was quirkless." Mirio and Tamaki's faces both saddened at the mention of this.

This caused Nejire to turn back around to face him. She looked at him with...a look. Izuku couldn't describe it. A combination of pity and surprise is what he got from it. "Quirkless, huh?"

"Yeah. I've wanted to be a hero for a while, rescuing people with Mirio and Tamaki by my side. and save people with a smile just like All Might. But when me and my mom visited the doctor today, he said I had no quirk. Now I can't do any of that..." he said sadly.

He then turned red from embarrassment. "I-I'm s-sorry! I've been rambling about my own problems that you p-probably didn't need to hear and I'm so sorry about that, oh god wait aren't I rambling right now!!?!!? Oh no no n-" he was interrupted by a soft giggle. He refocused his attention on the girl, who seemed quite amused from all his mumbling, as well as his two friends. "That was quite a bit of mumbling."

Izuku looked down. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it,Mr's...?

"Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya." He was surprised he said it without stuttering.

"Mirio Togata! Nice to meet you!" Said Mirio excitedly.

"T-T-Tamaki A-Amajiki…." Said Tamaki shakily.

"Those are cool names! I'm Nejire Hado!" She said enthusiastically.

Izuku subconsciously smiled at her enthusiasm. She gave off a friendly, air headed vibe that made him feel comfortable.

"Anyways, Nejire, it was nice to meet you! But my mom's probably worried about me. I gotta go, and I'm sure Mirio and Tamaki also need to-Nejire?" Izuku suddenly heard a sniffle behind him as him and his friends turned. When he faced her, he saw that a tear went down her cheek, though she tried to wipe it off quickly when he turned.

"H-Hm?"

"Why are you crying?" He asked.

"N-Nothing. Don't worry abo-"

"Come on," Said Izuku. "We can tell something's wrong. Why else would you be crying? I told you why I was crying. Now you tell me why you are."

Nejire bit her lip in nervousness. She evidently didn't want to say. "If you really don't want to tell me, than that's-"

"I have no home."

Izuku, Mirio and Tamaki all froze.

"My dad abuses me, and my mom died two years ago. And a couple hours ago, my dad kicked me out of the house." She spoke in an emotionless tone.

Izuku had no response. Minutes ago, he was crying over the fact that he had no quirk. But this girl, Nejire...she had no home. At least Izuku had a home and a loving mother to lean back on. But she had no one. A pang of pain seared through his heart.

"I'm...so sorry…." he said.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." She said. But Izuku could see the sadness, and the loneliness and uncertainty in her eyes. He had to do something.

"Why don't you come live with me?" Came the voice of a blonde haired boy.

…………

"So let me get this straight…this girl has no home and no parents, so you want us to take her in?"

"U-Uh….yeah. Pretty much."

Aina Togata evaluated Nejire one last time. She was certainly very kind, and definitely quite shy. She seemed like she had a tough life based on their interactions. However, what really sold her on this was the girl's body. She could see all the scars and bruises on her. Being a doctor, she could tell they were real, and not fabricated. How could she leave a girl like this alone on the streets? "I'll have to inform Yuuto about it, but I'll do it. I'll take you in Nejire. Welcome to the Togata family!" She said with a warm smile.

Nejire couldn't hold it in anymore, and she broke down crying, as Mirio, Aina, Izuku and Tamaki gave her a hug. A caring family...what more could she ask for?

………

A few years later….

"Izuku! Izuku! Izuku! Look at this painting! It looks so cool!!! I wonder how long it's been here! Who painted it? What kind of paint did they use??" Asked an 11 year Nejire Hado, eyes shining with excitement.

A mere chuckle was all she heard from beside her, as she turned to face an also 11 year old Izuku Midoriya, who seemed amused. They were currently standing in the famous Musutafu Experience, a museum full of exquisite works all showcased in one place. Nejire, who had been trapped in her former home for 7 years with very limited knowledge of the world beyond the front door, was now a very curious person, who had a liking for learning the things she couldn't learn when she was younger.

"I'm not sure, Nejire. I think it's pretty old-maybe 50 years or so."

"That's so cool!!!" She squealed. After reading the painting description nearby, she immediately bounced over to the next painting, inspecting it from every angle she could. Izuku smiles at this. It had been four years since Mirio's family had taken in Nejire, and the improvement was clear. Initially, Nejire was very shy, and still evidently uncomfortable with living with them. However, after the first few weeks, Nejire began to open herself up, becoming more talkative and more cheerful. After about two months, she seemed very comfortable with them, so after a ton of homeschooling with the help of Mirio, Tamaki and Izuku she was caught up to the knowledge of others her age. After being taken to a quirk assessment doctor and learning the ins and outs of her quirk, Wave Motion, Aina then enrolled her in Aldera Junior High with Mirio, Tamaki and Izuku, so she could be in a public school environment with someone she was close to. Although Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku's former friend but now primary bully and his cronies constantly mocked them. Although they were two years older than him, he would constantly verbally abuse them when no one was around except for him and his little band of followers, particularly Izuku, due to his lack of a quirk, which made his confidence wane, despite the comfort of his friends. It didn't help that Bakugo had great control of his already powerful quirk from a young age.

One thing Aina, Mirio and Togata realized quickly was that Nejire had quite the interest in Izuku. The two became amazing friends very quickly after Aina took her in, and they would constantly do things with each other. Inko was very happy about this, since Izuku always seemed very happy when he was with Nejire, and she didn't want her son to be forever hung up over his lack of a quirk.

"Hey, Hey, Izuku! Come here! Look at this old rifle! It's from 108 years ago!" Izuku walked over, smiling as he inspected the firearm.

"That's so cool! It belonged to a military lieutenant, he was famous too! Maybe they also have-"

"HEY! Deku! What are you doing here, you quirkless extra??"

Izuku immediately deflated upon hearing that all-too familiar voice. The voice of a very volatile and egotistical blonde-haired boy. He turned around to face a fuming(**Haha get it**) Katsuki Bakugo.

"Whenever I try to get away from you, you always still manage to turn up and annoy me, damn Deku!!

**_Katsuki Bakugo! Quirk: Explosion. He can release nitroglycerin from his hands to create explosions. The more he swears, the more volatile the explosions._**

Bakugo then looked to the side, and saw the blue haired airhead that was always with him nowadays. She glared at him with a type of intensity he couldn't describe.

"For the umpteenth time, Bakugo, leave him alone! What has he done to you??" Said Nejire in a sharp tone, unusual for someone like her.

"He's alive, that's fucking what! Stupid Deku thinking he can get into U.A when he's a quirkless and useless??" Izuku trembled a little.

"Shut up."

"He won't amount to anything! He's fucking useless. What is he gonna do as a hero, eh?!? He'd probably be the one asking for help, not citizens." His cronies laughed stupidly at this.

Nejire's hands tightened into fists. "Shut up."

"YOU WANNA BE A HERO, RIGHT DEKU???! THEN JUMP OFF A ROOF AND MAYBE YOU CAN GET A QUIRK IN YOUR NEXT LIFE!!"

"SHUT UP!"

Nejire then surprised herself, Bakugo, his cronies, and Izuku.

Her quirk once again manifested.

_For these last four years, I've tried to use my quirk again. But it's been a struggle. I've only made small wisps of energy. I've only learned how to create the energy. But I've never been able to recreate those shockwaves I made on...that night._

Or so she thought.

Nejire released a wave of energy from her hand, slamming into Bakugo and knocking him to the ground. Several heads turned to their direction.

Bakugo then stood up, anger in his eyes. "You fucking airhead….I'm gonna beat the-"

"Yo, Bakugo! Lay off!" Whispered one of his cronies, gesturing towards the crowd.

Bakugo's eyes twitched with anger, but as he looked upon the crowd, he let the sparks in his hands go out. "You're lucky, Blue Bitch. You're safe today. But nothing is gonna change the fact that stupid Deku won't amount to anything. When I get the chance, I'm gonna show you how useless and inferior you are to me too." With those last words, Bakugo turned on his heel and left, with his crew trailing behind him.

Once Nejire was sure they were gone, she turned to Izuku, who looked like he wanted to disappear into the ground. She then wrapped her arms around him. Izuku had his head down, and even though he was silent, she could feel him shaking.

"Izuku...don't listen to him, ok? You. Are. Amazing. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else, and I'm sure Mirio and Tamaki would agree with me. You're gonna be a hero, Izuku, and you'll shine brighter than me, Tamaki, and Mirio. You are the one that helps us, keeps us together, and gives us strength to continue."

Izuku lifted his head and gazed at Nejire with eyes brimming with tears. "Y-You..really think so? I can be a hero?"

Nejire gazed right back, her sky blue eyes filled with seriousness.

"Yes. You can."

Izuku seemed to brighten a little at her words.

"Izuku, we're gonna be trying for U.A in 4 years. It sounds like a lot of time, but if we're gonna make it in, we need to start training now. And even if you don't have a quirk, you are smarter and more analytical than the rest of us. You can help us."

Izuku's eyes lit up with a fire of determination.

"I'll do my best to help you!"

Nejire smiled at him. Even if he didn't have a quirk, he was still amazing. Regardless of the obstacles, he would be…

...a hero!

—————————

A/N: Welcome to my first story! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. With all the hype of Season 4 of MHA, I really wanted to write a story about the Big Three, particularly Nejire. Mirio is the member of the Big Three that recurved the most attention in Season 4, and although Mirio is awesome, I feel that Nejire is kind of forgotten. Tamaki still gets more screen time and plot relevance in Season 4, so Nejire will receive a lot of focus in this story. Canon will still be in the story and mainly the same, but it will be modified to the fit the story. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask and I'll answer them next chapter!

Please review, and have a great day!


	2. As Years Pass By

...

"You can do it, Izuku! Only 8 more!"

Nejire bounces around the gym as Izuku continued his push-ups, while Mirio and Tamaki downed a bottle of water each, having finished their own workouts.

"43...44...45...46...47...48...49...50!"

Nejire smiled widely and immediately bounced next to Izuku with a glass of water once Izuku sat down, exhausted.

"You're doing good, Izuku! You're so much more fit now!" She encouraged cheerily.

Izuku sighed. "I still have a long way to go. I'm not improving as much as you, Mirio or Tamaki. I'm still far behind..."

Nejire then shushed him, putting a finger to his lips as she pouted at him. "Izuku, what did I say about comparing yourself?" She reprimanded.

"...Not to..." Izuku mumbles.

"Exactly. As we said, stop putting yourself down. Your confidence needs to be built back up. So chin up, mister!"

Although Izuku sighed, a smile could still be seen on his face. "Ok, ok. Calm down Neji," he said, using the nickname he had developed for her over the last few years.

Although he didn't see it, Nejire's cheeks turned a little pink upon hearing the nickname. "F-Fine. But don't you forget what I said, Izuku!"

Mirio and Tamaki chuckled when they saw her pink face.

After Izuku finished his workouts, he said his goodbyes to the other three and left the gym to go home.

The minute he left, Mirio saw his opportunity and turned to Nejire, with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Is it possible that you have a little crush on our broccoli haired friend, Nejire?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Nejire instantly went a deep scarlet, and started failing her arms around. "M-M-Mirio!! D-Don't say something like that!!" She squeaked frantically.

Tamaki have a small chuckle. "Aww, are you embarrassed, Nejire? I didn't think that possible." He teased. Over the years, Tamaki grew increasingly more comfortable with his friends, to the point where he could even take part in teasing without getting uncomfortable. Unfortunately, in a public setting his shy personality would still take over.

"Not helping, Tamaki! Stop teasing me!" She said, pouting like a kindergartener, face still red.

**...**

"Any idea how he got out, detective?"

"No. This has to be the work of villains. That new rookie that joined a few days ago...they just vanished, and took a ton of weapons and all their identification with them. They were probably a spy working on the inside to bring him out. My question is why...why him of all people? What connection does he have to them, or does he have something to offer them?..."

Detective Tsukauchi stood in front of the in-station jail at the police station, with one of the head guards beside him. Two guards were slumped over unconscious beside the cell, which was pried open.

Tsukauchi took a walkie talkie out of his pocket and patched in to the front desk. "Contact the chief. We have an escaped prisoner."

"_Which one, detective?"_

"...number 253."

"_Number 253...oh. Oh. **That** one."_

_"_Yeah. That one..."

"I'll call him immediately. That man is dangerous...and insane. A terrifying combination."

Tsukauchi's head turned as he hung up and gazed out the window, eyes filled with worry.

...

"POWEEERRR!"

Mirio popped out of the ground from behind Izuku, and then threw him over himself into the ground.

"Ow!!! Mirio, you need to not put so much force into that move!! Jeez..."

Nejire immediately skipped over to Izuku and knelt down next to him, and pressed some ice to his back. Mirio sheepishly smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry, Izuku! But we gotta give it our all improve, right?"

Izuku sighed, but did not object. He wasn't exactly wrong. Whether it's a spar or not, they needed to do their best.

They were now 13 years old, and their training regimen for U.A was still in full swing. They only had two years left to prepare, and they were nowhere near short on determination.

"You'll be alright, Izuku, but you should probably rest for a few minutes before we continue," was Nejire's diagnosis.

Izuku smiles at her. "Gotcha. Thanks, Neji."

Nejire blushed a little yet again as he walked away towards the benches. Mirio and Tamaki smirked at each other, but decided not to comment. "Anyways, you're up next to face me, Nejire! You ready?" Shouted Mirio excitedly.

Nejire grinned at him. "You bet!" She said as she assumed a fighting stance.

Izuku smiled as he watched the two of them spar. While he may be quirkless, it turned out Nejire was right-he could still help his friends reach their dreams, and that made him happy. He didn't need his old friends that turned out to just be bullies, like Bakugo. The feeling of being blissfully ignorant from the insults was amazing, and he focused his attention to his real friends.

...

After another hour of training, Izuku was walking home with a bright smile. He was always happy to spend time with friends, and his mother was making katsudon tonight for dinner. Who couldn't take delight in that?

"Hey, hey! Izuku!"

Recognizing the voice, Izuku turned happily to face the energy empress herself, Nejire, with her eternal smile on her face and her infectious optimism almost seeming like it was rolling off in waves. However, something seemed off. Her face was a little red. Does she have a fever?

"Hi! You feeling alright? Your face is red," Izuku remarked.

At this statement, Nejire's face went a shade of darker red. "I-I'm fine! Completely fine! I just wanna ask you a question..."

Izuku's eyebrow was raised so high it was almost in his hair. She was stuttering. _Nejire Hado_ is stuttering. Izuku was extremely confused, but he plowed through. "What's the question?"

Nejire began to shuffle around in a shy manner, which made Izuku blush. "_That's cute...wait, no! Don't think that Izuku. You're not a creep!"_

"Uhhhh...wouldyouliketogoonadatewithme?"

Izuku blinked. "Ummm...what?"

Nejire somehow became an even darker shade of red. _"Oh no no no no no! No he's gonna think I'm an idiot! Why didn't I say it clearly??? Why can't I be calm???" _Nejire stressed internally for a bit before composing herself.

"W-Would you like to go on a date with me?" She asked with what Izuku finally realized was an intense blush.

Izuku's brain shut down.

The words didn't mix.

Izuku.

Nejire.

_Date?_

Having the analytical mind he did, he tried to process this development. He started with a question:

_"Why me?"_

_Of all people to pick, why me? I'm not as enthusiastic and optimistic as Mirio, or as powerful and strong willed as Tamaki. By these standards, why me? I'm as ordinary as you can get, and I'm quirkless. I've just been following you guys and helping where I can. What could be viewed as endearing about me?_

"Stop that."

Izuku's intense and spontaneous internal debate ended instantly with the voice that he suddenly realized sounded so melodic. He looked to Nejire, who had a serious face on and arms crossed, as the sun reflected off her skin, illuminating her in golden light.

"I can tell you're doubting yourself. You're face is scrunched up, so you're stressed and confused, you're not muttering, which means you're debating in your head, and you have a frown on your face, so you're not thinking positively about yourself. Stop thinking that."

Izuku sighed. "Am I that easy to read? How ironic, considering you guys call me the analytical one."

This caused Nejire to smile a little.

"I'm gonna be honest, I don't know why you picked me. I thought that if you would pick anyone to go on a date with or chance a relationship with, it would be either Mirio or Tamaki. Why not them?"

"Because they're not you."

The blunt and simple answer startled Izuku. Not the answer he was expecting.

"You're a lot more special than you think, Izuku. You are the one that always helps the three of us. Think of it like a play. Me, Mirio and Tamaki are acting. While you may be backstage, you're just as important. _You_ make the play what it is. Without you, we're not anything either. _You_ _are_ important, Izuku. You help us and also hang on to your dreams of being a hero, and you don't let the setback of being quirkless discourage you. You're really nice, not to mention cute(Izuku's face burned red at this compliment). I wouldn't want to go on a date with anyone else."

Without anything else to object with, Izuku gave a shy smile to her. "Thank you, Nejire. I'll happily go on a date with you."

Upon hearing those words, Nejire squealed in happiness. She bounced over to Izuku and wrapped her arms around him with a big smile on her face. "Yayyyy! That makes me so happy, Izuku. Does Friday sound good?"

Izuku could only smile at her wild happiness. "Yeah, sounds great."

A short distance away, Mirio and Tamaki grinned at each other happily as they quietly walked away. Their friends were finally together, and the connection the four shared would only get stronger from now on.

...

Izuku scrambled around his room as he searched for his buttonshirt. He had picked one specifically to use for his date with Nejire, and that date was _today!_

Izuku was still surprised that Nejire had asked him on a date. It seemed like such a surreal thing to imagine, yet it was happening. Who would've thought.

Ah! There it was. Izuku held up the buttonshirt, having found it among the clothes closet in his room. It was a nice smooth green colour, and went well with the black jeans he would be wearing. He wanted to wear something slightly sophisticated, because he had reserved two seats for the restaurant "World Cuisine," a well-reviewed four star restaurant close to where they lived that sold food from all around the world. It was decently expensive and fancy, so he didn't want to look like a student who had wandered into the wrong restaurant instead of a cheap store nearby.

As Izuku said goodbye to his mother and left home, it felt like a short while until he found himself in front of World Cuisine, situated within a beautiful and massive square plaza lit up with lights, TV's, fireworks, and several other attractions. Glancing at his watch, it read 5:57 PM, so he was a few minutes early. He sat at one of the benches and waited. He reflected.

2 more years...that was the time left between now and applying for U.A. Time was flying fast, and soon they would be swamped by the responsibilities that came with hero training. They wouldn't be able to be so carefree anymore...but becoming heroes had always been their dream, and nothing would st-

Izuku's brain immediately shut down upon seeing Nejire turn the corner and head towards the front of the restaurant. She had a beautiful red dress on that went down to her knees, sky blue high heels that matched her eyes, vivid red lipstick, and a white flower was tucked behind her ear. She was breathtaking.

When Nejire caught sight of him, her face brightened and she walked towards him(no running because of her heels), and when she reached him, she embraced him in a hug, which a blushing Izuku returned.

"Hi, Izuku! You ready for our date?" She asked cheerily.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied with a smile. With that, they entered the restaurant.

"Hello, you two. Do you have a reservation?" Asked the receptionist.

Izuku nodded. "Table of two under the name "Midoriya." The receptionist glanced down at her list, then nodded. "Please follow me." The receptionist got up and walked towards the dining area, and Izuku and Nejire followed behind.

As they sat down and read over the menus, they signaled a waiter to come over.

"Hello, you two. What can I get you tonight?"

Izuku responded with "Ceasar Salad, New York strip and a bread pudding for me."

Nejire went right after that. "Garlic breadsticks, Oyyakudon, and red velvet cake, as well as a cup of jasmine tea."

After the waiter left, Izuku and Nejire took a minute to gaze at each other, both lost in the eyes of the other. When their food arrived, they ate and talked, recounting memories made over the 4 years of experiences with Mirio, Tamaki and themselves. As they left the restaurant, Izuku took Nejire to Musutafu Mountain, which was a mountain for sightseeing, and was known for its amazing views.

As they reached the peak of the mountain and sat at one of the benches in front of the sunset, they gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. But neither was tired of it, and were entranced with the other's eyes.

"Hey, Izuku? Said Nejire softly, which was unlike her.

Izuku shook his head a little and refocused on her. "Yeah?"

"How do you feel nowadays? As we get closer and closer to the day of U.A entrance exams, you seem to get a little sadder. You do know we won't leave you even if you don't make it in, right?"

Izuku seemed to deflate a little. "I know you won't. But it's not very encouraging to think that your three friends will make it into the hero course almost guaranteed when you don't know if you can get into the school at all. I'm still rooting for you guys, don't get me wrong. I'm just a little frustrated."

Nejire frowned. "I can see why that might be a problem for you. Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about it. Life dealt you the hand of the quirkless, and people will always judge you for that. All we can do is stick together. And trust me, I'll be by your side no matter what. I'm not leaving you, Izuku. Not after all these years we've spent together."

Izuku gave her a million-watt smile, which contrasted the frustrating situation he was in. "Thank you, Nejire. Thank you so much..." he trailed off as yet again, the two gazed into each other's eyes. 1001 times...but this was a little different. After a few seconds, Izuku could feel himself inching closer and closer, and Nejire could feel the same. Before they knew it, their eyes were closed, noses touching...

...And their lips met.

**A/N**

(**Chapter two done yeet)**

**So there's chapter two finished! This chapter I mainly used to develop Izuku and Nejire's relationship and establish the sort of friendly environment Izuku, Nejire, Tamaki and Mirio share when together. The main storyline will begin very soon with One For All and whatnot, but with twists to fit the theme of the story. I hope you enjoyed!**

**Also, thank you for the positive reviews on last chapter! I appreciate it! :)**

**Please review and have a great day!**


	3. You Can Be A Hero!

...

"Whoa! That was incredible, Bakugo!"

"You scared off the bullies just by being there!"

"That was so cool!"

Katsuki Bakugo smirked as people crowded around him and shot praise off their tongues. Everyone at Aldera Junior High School knew about the young prodigy, whether it be about his remarkable quirk control from a young age, his violent attitude and temper, or both.

"Ha! I wasn't even trying, you extras! I could've beat their asses if I wanted too! I just felt merciful today.."

"Ah yes, of course!"

"No one would doubt that, Bakugo!"

Pride swelled up in his chest with every comment. He knew what he was capable of, and that everyone acknowledged how much better he was than them. It was an incredibly satisfying feeling. He relished in it.

However, it was then that he caught something in the corner of his eye.

A green curly haired boy passed by the crowd, without so much as a glance. Izuku Midoriya, or as he called him, Deku.

Bakugo's eyes twitched upon seeing him. They were friends when they were younger, but after Bakugo's quirk manifested and Deku revealed that he had no quirk, he viewed him as inferior. The fact that he was older then him only made him more pathetic in his eyes. Someone older who was supposed to be able to beat him was weaker than 80% of society, and he was part of the stronger 80%-no, higher! He was unmatched, and he would prove his superiority soon enough when he would inevitably become the number one hero.

Leaving his thoughts, Bakugo eyed the person next to Izuku...an obnoxious blue haired girl, who had been clinging to him even more nowadays. Nejire Hado. She was a massive nuisance for Bakugo, and her protective nature regarding Izuku which was also shared by her friends made things immeasurably annoying, since unlike Izuku, they could actually fight back.

Months ago, Bakugo went to school like a normal day, and saw that Deku and Nejire were very close with each other. Like, closer then usual. It only took him a few seconds to realize that they were probably dating, and their interactions from that day on only enforced the theory. Many wondered how quirkless, worthless Deku got a girlfriend, but Bakugo didn't care. Anyone who associated with Deku would be a waste of thought for him.

Noticing them looking at him, something inside Katsuki's brain snapped. "What're you looking at, you parasites?! Huh?"

Izuku flinched. Normally, he and Bakugo avoided each other, but it seemed he was feeling hyper today.

"Bakugo, stop right there and shut up. Or I'm calling the principal," Said a glaring Nejire.

However, it was an empty threat. The school was always reluctant to give their _prodigy_ any repurcussions for his actions, and the principal would just tell Bakugo to stop and then ignore them.

And judging by the widening smirk on Bakugo's face, he knew it too.

"Heh, you really think I'd care about that, Blue Bitch? Cause' I don't. Besides, why are you speaking for him? Too weak to defend himself, is he?"

Nejire squeezed Izuku's hand comfortingly as he tensed up.

"You're a bastard." Said Nejire coldly.

"And you have no personality," he retaliated in just as vicious a tone. "All you do is just babysit Deku, and try to defend his pathetic uselessness. Is that all you do? I bet that you're useless too."

Nejire started to shake, and her hands started to glow a vague gold color.

"How fucking embarrassing. I bet you can't even make tea right."

"..."

**The world came crashing down. Memories flooded back instantly.**

**"_YOU FUCKING MADE MY TEA WRONG! HOW THE FUCK DO YOU SCREW THIS UP?! WILL YOU EVER PROVE USEFUL IN ANYWAY, YOU STUPID BRAT?!"_**

All her rage vanished and became terror. Evidently, it showed in her face, because Izuku's face instantly was filled with worry. Even Bakugo's face showed some shock in it as he stepped back. Nejire started to sweat and breath heavily, and Izuku instantly was at her side, trying to calm her, but all the memories were flooding into her head after being locked away for so long, and before she knew it, everything went black.

...

_"**HEY! WHAT ARE YOU POLICE SHITS DOING HERE?! DID I ASK YOU TO COME? NO, I DIDN'T! SO FUCK OFF!"**_

_Koharu then caught sight of a blue haired girl beside the officers, who was also with three young boys and a woman with blonde hair._

_"Koharu Hado, we have reason to believe that you have been abusing your child, Nejire Hado. You are under arrest, and have the right to remain silent. Please come with us."_

_The man's bloodshot eyes twitched in drunken rage. _

_"**LIKE FUCK I WILL! I MAY HAVE ROUGHED HER UP A LITTLE, BUT THE LITTLE SHIT DESERVED IT! I AIN'T COMING WITH YOUR STUPID ASSES!"**_

_The officer narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid you have no choice, Mr Hado. Come with us, or we will have to take you by force."_

_**"FUCK OFF!" **Was his response._

_The officer sighed as he pulled out a tranquilizer and shot a dart at Koharu, knocking him out. The four children gasped a little. _

_"I-Is he dead?" Asked the blue haired girl shakily. _

_"No. Only knocked out. We're gonna take him to the station, and put him behind bars. He won't hurt you anymore, alright?" He said with a smile._

_The girl seemed to exhale with relief. "T-Thank you. Very much."_

_"No problem kiddo. However, we need you to come with us to the station for a bit and answer some questions. Can you do that?"_

_She nodded. _

_"Alrighty then. Come with me, please. All of you."_

...

Nejire woke up to voices.

"Will she be alright?" A worried voice.

"Yes, dearie. Don't worry, she'll only need to be here for a couple more hours." A woman's voice.

"That Bakugo..." A quiet but a angry voice.

"We gotta do something about this. This can't go unpunished." A voice that carried none of its usual friendliness.

As Nejire opened her eyes, she saw Mirio, Tamaki and Izuku talking with the school nurse, all looking worried. At first, she didn't know why, but then she remebered Bakugo's verbal abuse.

And the memories that returned with it.

Nejire rapidly shook her head to get rid of these thoughts, which alerted the others to the fact she was awake.

"Nejire! How are you feeling?" Izuku was instantly at her side, looking her over and gazing at her worriedly like a panicked boyfriend.

Wait...that was exactly what he was. The thought made Nejire giggle a bit despite her less than perfect condition.

"I...could be better," she admitted. She shuffled out of the blankets on the infirmary bed, and sat up.

"What happened out there, Nejire?" Asked a now docile and concerned Tamaki. "Izuku said that you looked really panicked and that you were breathing really heavily, and that it looked like you were having a panic attack."

Nejire looked to the floor. How could she tell them that a panic attack was exactly what she experienced?

"Sorry, it was just a bad memory. Don't worry about it, ok?"

Mirio and Tamaki nodded, but they seemed skeptical. It was obvious they didn't buy it. "Well...alright then. Me and Tamaki gotta go to math now. I'm sure you can take care of Nejire, right Izuku?"

Izuku smiled. "You can count on me. Good luck in class."

After they left, Izuku turned to Nejire with a stern face.

"Look, Neji...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but you never have a reaction like that just to a bad memory. What _did_ you remember?"

She wanted to lie. She didn't want to trouble him. But Izuku knew her better than anyone, and if anyone could see through her, it was him.

"It...It was about my dad."

Izuku momentarily froze, then his face instantly softened as he wrapped his arms around her.

Nejire started to shake a little as she shed a tear. "It was from..the night. The night I escaped, and met you guys. When Bakugo insulted me by saying that I couldn't even make tea right, it just all came...rushing back," she said as she began sniffling.

"Shhh. Just relax. He's in prison now, and he can't hurt you anymore. I'll be by your side, ok? Don't worry."

Nejire seemed to calm down, and she managed a small smile. "Thank you, Izuku."

She got another smile in return.

**A Year Later...**

Izuku stared miserably into the little pond outside of Aldera Junior High where his "Hero Analysis For The Future" notebook laid within, scorched to ashes and now soaking wet as Katsuki Bakugo walked off satisfied with his cronies trailing behind him.

_"Stupid idiot. Who's ever heard of a hero without a quirk? No matter what anyone tells him, he keeps on trying to pursue the impossible. No wonder everyone in his grade and in the school think he's an idiot."_

An image of a certain trio of students flashed in his mid, and his eyebrows twitched.

"_Well, most of the school anyway."_

Thankfully, since about a year ago, after a little run in before school, the stupid blue-haired girl and Deku had avoided him. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't complain, because he didn't want to see them anymore than they wanted to see him. However, it still made Bakugo shiver a little when he remembered the girl's face that day. He had never seen a face like that before, but he always pushed it out of his head. Whatever it was, it wasn't his problem.

As Bakugo gazed off into the distance, he vaguely remembered one of the teachers raving about the four students who were currently in their third year of school who were applying for U.A. Given that they always talked about it, Bakugo knew that Deku and his friends were the ones applying. It annoyed him to no end, and he still cast them dirty looks whenever the teachers weren't looking. He was sick of them, and he was actually glad they were gonna apply. Three didn't have good control of their quirks like he did, and one didn't have a quirk to begin with. He was positive they would fail, and as a result be forced to apply for a different school. Away from him, and his inevitable success.

...

"HAHAHAHA! YOU'LL BE AN EXCELLENT VESSEL FOR ME, BOY!"

Izuku struggled in terror as a slime-type villain started to suffocate him. Who they were, he didn't know; he was focused on trying to break free.

"AHH! LET ME GO, PLEASE!"

"No can do, kid! It's nothing personal, I assure you."

"NOOO! STOP!"

Images of Mirio flashed through his mind. All the jokes they shared, the times he visited him, played games with him, _everything._

Images of Tamaki as well. The first time he met him, and how they became good friends, when they would view the internet and watch funny things, play sports, _everything._

And lastly..._her._

Nejire. Her beautiful face. Eternally cheerful personality. Their first date. Their first kiss._ She was his_ e_verything._

Was he about to lose it all?...

Izuku closed his eyes, about to accept death, when...

"TEXAS...SMAAASSSHHH!"

The slime villain flew into the wall towards the wall of tunnel, which he was flattened against. He then fell face first on the floor, as Izuku turned to view his saviour.

The man, the myth, the legend...

All Might.

"It's all right now, young man. Why?"

Tears of joy ran down Izuku's face.

"**Because **_I **am here!"**_

**"ALL MIGHT???" Screamed an excited Izuku.**

"Haha! It is indeed me, young man. You were incredibly brave, standing your ground. I thank you!" Said All Might happily. He then took a bottle out of seemingly thin air and scooped the slime villain into it.

"Can I have your autograph-WAIT, YOU ALREADY SIGNED IT??" Exclaimed Izuku.

"Yep! I work fast! Welp, I have places to be! Can't be somewhere for forever! Have a nice day!"

With that, All Might jumped away. However, he felt some odd weight on his leg. As he looked back, he saw the boy hanging onto him, wind flapping in his face!

"A stowaway???" Thought All Might as he sweatdropped.

"Hey, kid! That's really dangerous, you know!"

"I wanna ask you a question!"

All Might internally sighed. What question could possibly warrant this sort of action?

As he landed on the roof a building, the kid let go at last.

"All Might, do you think someone who is quirkless can become a hero like you?"

All Might suddenly deflated into a skinny man??!?

"Are you an imposter?!? Don't move! I'm calling the heroes!"

"Calm down, young man. Even if it's hard to believe, I am All Might."

Izuku seemed incredibly confused.

All Might then lifted his shirt a, little revealing a terrible wound on his abdomen.

"Five years ago, I suffered this injury in a fight that was not made public. Now, my hero work per day is limited. Let this serve as a warning."

Silence for a moment.

"..."

"I don't wanna crush your spirits, kid. Believe me on that. But without a quirk, I don't know what the likelihood of that is. You'd be better off being a policeman, or fireman. Still very respectable jobs." With that. All Might walked off, leaving a saddened Izuku behind him.

"I guess he's right...it's an unfortunate truth, but it's not like I can change it. I guess I'll just head home...Nejire's probably on her way back home from school by now anyway."

A dejected Izuku Midoriya wandered home, his body on autopilot. His friends and girlfriend believed in him, and his ability to become a hero. But none of them knew what being a hero was actually like, since they were still in middle school. If All Might, the number one hero himself, didn't have faith, why should he?

...

"Woah, what's going on over there??!?"

"Someone is being suffocated in that...thing!!"

"Is that a villain?!!!???"

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything??!?"

Izuku snapped his head up at these words. He glanced down the street, where he saw an eerily familiar figure...

"HEHEH...I COULDN'T TAKE THE BOY FROM EARLIER, BUT I'LL SETTLE FOR YOU, GIRLY!"

The scream that followed terrified him...but it wasn't the scream itself. Rather the voice that was making it.

As he horrifyingly squinted in, he could see that the girl who was in trouble had long blue hair, sky blue eyes, and a face that held none of its usual joy.

Before he knew it, he dashed towards the scene, ignoring the calls of the heroes in the vicinity as he made his way towards his struggling girlfriend, whose eyes widened upon seeing him.

"I-Izuku?? No, get away! You'll get yourself hurt as well!"

Tears poured down his face as he threw his backpack at the villain in a useless attempt to stop him.

"You...you looked like you were calling for help!" He said with his eyes crying an ocean of tears.

At that moment, an understanding passed between the two. His true drive, and purpose. A passion for saving people.

This ignited a deep regret within a certain nearby man, whose body began to swell up into a more muscular form. "How pathetic I am... to require the intervention of a young man to spring me into action. Pathetic!"

On that note, All Might charged towards the slime villain, with his fists reared back.

"Not you again!!!"

"DEEETROOIIT...SMMMMMMAAAAASSSHHH!"

The force of the blow caused the sky to become clumoudy and rainy, as the slime villain was flattened into the pavement. Nejire collapsed on the ground, exhausted but relieved. Instantly, Izuku was by her side with an arm around her as he whispered comforting words into her ear.

And thus ended the slime incident.

...

"GREETINGS AGAIN, YOUNG MAN!"

Izuku Midoriya and Nejire Hado's eyes seemed to pop out of their skulls as All Might rounded the corner and stopping in front of them.

"Ah...this isn't really convenient...I wanted to speak to the boy in private."

"Young man, may I speak to you in private?"

Izuku looked at Nejire then turned to All Might.

"She's my girlfriend and I trust her. What is it that you need to speak about which needs to be so secretive?"

All Might sighed. He could tell he wouldn't budge on this. He would just need to trust his word. "Very we-PPPAAAWW!"

All Might spat blood as he returned to his skeletal form, shocking Nejire.

"Woah! You okay? Need a doctor? And by the way, are you really All Might, or an imposter?"

"He is All Might, Nejire. I met him earlier today."

"Wait, you met him before???"

"I'll explain later. So...what is it that you need to talk about, All Might?"

Toshinori took a deep breath, then spoke. "As you saw earlier, I have been suffering from a major injury, and I cannot do hero work as effectively as before."

Izuku and Nejire paused while hearing this. Izuku's face displayed attentiveness and a little dismay, while Nejire's showed shock.

"Back at that street, I was too hesitant to go in...my cowardice and weakness brought shame upon me. But then, you, a quirkless boy, ran into the scene to help when no one else, not even me, did. That gave me the drive to end that conflict."

Izuku's eyes widened.

"You know, the pasts of pro heroes...all are vastly different in many ways, but there is one thing that remains common within them all...their legs moved before they could think."

Izuku's eyes began to tear up.

"I should have realized your potential from the beginning, young man."

"_You know, mom...back then, "Sorry" wasn't what I needed to hear. What I did need to hear was..."_

**"_You, young man...can be a hero!"_**

**_..._**

**_Whew! Took me longer then expected to finish this. I've had like 6 tests between this chapter and the last one...hasn't been fun. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! As you can probably tell, the canon has begun, written in my own way and style, with twists because this is a fic centered around Izuku and Nejire. _**

**_Btw, Jotaro Joestar, to answer your question, she is in the canon. However, in this story I've aged Izuku up to the same age as the Big Three._**

**_ALSO, WHO ELSE LOVES SEASON FOUR ALREADY? CUZ I DO! _**

**_If you have any of your own questions about the story, feel free to ask!_**

**_Please review and have a nice day!_**


	4. The Same as Her

...

Tears poured down Izuku's face as he kneeled in front of his idol after hearing the words he longed to hear from him. Nejire stood next to him, smiling down at her boyfriend, a look of happiness on her face.

"To do this, young man, I shall offer you my quirk!"

At this statement, Izuku and Nejire turned their attention back to the skinny man in confusion.

"Offer your quirk?...What does that mean, All Might?"

Suddenly, All Might reinflated. "WHAT, ARE YOU SAYING YOU DON'T WANT MY AMAZING QUIRK?" He said laughing.

"N-N-No, All Might, o-of course not, I'm so sorry if you misunderstood, that's not what I meant, please don't leave, I think-"

All Might then deflated again. "I was kidding, young man. But, to go more in depth, I mean for you to inherit my quirk."

The two children widened their eyes.

"My quirk has never been officially confirmed. Many assume that it is super strength or invincibility or some sort. However, neither are really correct. My quirk is called..."**One For All."**

"One...For...All..." they repeated.

"It is a power passed on from generation to generation. Each person cultivates the power, and then passes it to the next person, who cultivated it again. It is the accumulation of power from those who wish to help people!"

**_Toshinori Yagi! Quirk: One For All!_**

**_Hits people with a power that gets stronger with each new wielder!_**

"But make no mistake, young man. It will not be easy. Given your current physique, you are close, but not yet completely physically capable of inheriting the quirk. You will have to put in lots of effort to strengthen your body to contain the quirk. Are you willing to go through with this, young man?"

Izuku mulled it over. He didn't see a reason as to why he couldn't train more, but no doubt there would be very high expectations for him as the inheritor of the number one hero's quirk. But after looking up at his girlfriend, and seeing her encouraging smile which seemed brighter then the sunset behind his idol, he made up his mind.

He smiled as he turned to All Might. "I'll do it!"

The skinny man gave a smile as he gazed at the boy. "Just the answer I was expecting. Meet me at Dagobah Beach tomorrow at 8:00 am, and we shall begin!"

"Ummm...can I bring Nejire with me?"

All Might seemed to consider this for a few minutes. "Well, as she already knows, I see no harm in it. However, I would prefer if neither of you speak about this to anyone else, unless they are 100% trustworthy. This is to be a closely guarded secret."

"I promise that I will keep the secret safe!" Cheered Izuku.

This made Toshinori grin at the young man. "Good. I look forward to working with you, young Midoriya!" And with that, Toshinori transformed back into All Might in a puff of smoke, and left the area.

Nejire looked down at Izuku, who still had tears of happiness pouring down his face. Smiling, she put a hand on his shoulder. "See? You are worthy of being a hero," she whispered softly. Izuku gave her a grateful smile and wrapped his arms around her, which compelled her to do the same. The two remained for a minutes, before they finally pulled away.

"We should probably head home now, Izuku. You don't want to oversleep tomorrow, do you?"

He nodded his head in agreement. "You're right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Neji." Nejire gave him a kiss on the cheek as she waved him goodbye, and Izuku now was the only one who remained in the street, and he slowly wandered home, amazed at how this day had gone. Never, in a million years would he have imagined _this._

_—_

Beads of sweat poured down Izuku's face as he sat down on the benches near Dagobah Beach. "_Closer and closer,"_ that's what he told himself over and over whenever he trained. Hours of tiresome physical labor cant exactly be considered fun for anyone though, can it?

It had been about 2 months since All Might passed his power down to him. He had been training everyday, clearing out Dagobah Beach and doing workout routines. Nejire helped him a lot too, coming with him to help him train whenever she had the time to, and occasionally sparring with him until he was tired.  
Even so, a kiss on the cheek would always encourage him to continue.

The green-haired boy sat there, chugging down water from his water bottle as he gazed at the sunset on the horizon.

"Woah, it looks so beautiful out here! Maybe I should take Nejire here for a date when it's all cleared out..." he murmured.

"WHAT A GREAT IDEA! YOU TOTALLY SHOULD!"

Izuku jumped a little as a loud, yet familiar voice rang out behind him. He turned around to face Mirio, who had his head poking out of the wall next to him.

"Mirio...what did I say about surprising me like that?.." sighed Izuku.

"Not to! Can't help myself though, Izuku. You're too easy! Always out in the open, unsuspecting after some training!" Mirio gave his friend a shit-eating grin at these words. "Good to know that you have so much confidence in me, bud."

"Well anyways, jokes aside, I wanted to see if you had time to spar! It's been a while since our last one."

Izuku gave his friend a grin. "Sure. Let's see if you can keep up!"

Mirio returned it. "I should be telling you that, green bean!"

**Two minutes later...**

Izuku and Mirio got into battle stances as they gazed at each other in absolute focus. While they were friends, the group of pals treated spars as proper fights, and didn't pull punches. They wanted to make their spars close to what training at U.A would probably be like.

"_I can't make the first move...if I do, then he'll just react with his quirk and get a hit on me instead. I have to fight this defensively..."_

In a sudden burst of movement, Mirio lunged at Izuku, hand closed into a fist. In response, he leapt to the side and dodged the strike, and then swung his own fist towards where Mirio was. However, when he felt nothing but a ghostly feeling, he jumped back as Mirio phased into the ground, nowhere to be seen, and in a pure wave of instinct, he gave a sharp turn and parried a strike from a now reappearing Mirio with his arm, and he countered with a high kick aimed at his face.

However, the blonde was clearly not deterred at all, and he immediately phased underground, dodging the strike.

"_Crap! Where now? I didn't think he would react that fast to it!"_

He looked around. There was nothing high enough to jump on to dodge a strike from below, and he didn't know where he would pop up. Mirio typically would be a little shocked if his attack was countered-he was the surprise attack specialist, after all. Izuku had written down so many things about Mirio over the duration of the group's friendship...this was something he didn't expect. With his quirk being so dangerous and easy to bring a disadvantage to him if used improperly, Mirio liked to stick to tactics and moves that he knew worked. This reaction time...he must have been expecting Izuku's analysis of him. He had never done this before...how much had he improved since last time?

This was the standard of which one had to perform to in order to get into U.A.

Not sure of a better solution, Izuku leaped into the air, hoping to get enough distance from Mirio to plan something else. There was very little time, though. In a battle against Mirio, reaction time was key. He needed to think of something fast-

"POWEEERRR!"

Too late.

Izuku fell to the ground with a bruise on his cheek. In that mere second he took to think, and he had already gotten behind him to land a strike...amazing. Mirio really was something. Speed, strength, intelligence...everything you could want in a hero when it came to stopping villains.

It was at that moment Izuku realized something.

_All Might may be the number one hero, but while that is inspiring, it also makes him seem so...impossible to live up to. Like a pillar that could not fall._

_But the boy standing in front of him...a hero at heart, with an unbreakable will and a bright smile..._

_...and a friend. HIS friend. A person he knew. Someone who wasn't so impossible to live up to. Someone that he talked with, laughed with, and got to know better everyday._

"You alright, Izuku? I hit you kinda hard, didn't I? Sorry..." said Mirio in a sheepish tone as he held out his hand.

But Izuku couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed. He looked up with a small smile on his face, and took his friend's hand."

"Don't worry about it."

...

**Elsewhere...**

"Get back here."

A tremble.

"Now."

A tear.

"_Did you not hear me? I said...__**NOW!**"_

He was the one in charge. He had made that so very clear, from the moment he was designated as her caretaker.

She should go back...right?

But when she stepped out of that building, she had felt so..._free._ It was a feeling she had never felt before, being confined to the white room, strapped in a chair with unknown tools next to her on a table...and that man, that terror, that _caretaker_ standing over her...that was what she was used to feeling, or on occasion a bed that despite the covers, felt so very hard, so very cold, in a dark, dark room lit with a single, dim light bulb.

He was forced to take her out of the house while it was inspected for something. Whatever it was, she didn't know. The fresh air, the buzz of the city, the bright lights...it was like a completely different universe.

She didn't want to leave, not now that she had seen it.

His eyes were narrowed as he glared down at her, a vein pulsing in annoyance within his hand. He was angry. They weren't supposed to visit this early. He hadn't expected it. He didn't need more problems right now.

"I'm not in a good mood, girl. Don't make it worse."

She should definitely go back...that's what her mind was saying.

But as she gazed around, there were so many people. They were laughing, smiling, talking, playing...it was nothing like the cruel world he had described it as.

Whenever she asked to go outside, he always said no, that it was a terrible place full of diseased people. He always said she was safe from it in the house, and that outside, people would scream, mock, attack, and do terrible things. They were cruel and emotionless. He was supposed to be the only good one, and he needed her so other people would be good like him.

But seeing these people, so happy, laughing, welcoming...the feeling that he was wrong was growing. Had he lied to her?...

She never got to go outside. This might be her only chance. This world...was nothing like the world of diseased people that he had described. If he had been lying, then how much could she trust him now?

It was an opportunity to escape. One, she decided, that would not go to waste. She turned her foot a little, not going unnoticed by him.

"Hm? Coming back now?"

Her foot turned a little more. This time, slightly away from him. His eyebrows narrowed slightly more.

"What are you doing, girl?"

Then she did it. She sprang off her feet, bolting as fast as she could, running towards a crowded space, the rocks on the sidewalk piercing her feet, making her wince. But she kept running.

"LITTLE BRAT! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?"

Footsteps clapped against the sidewalk at a fast pace. She had gotten a head start, but she didn't know if it would be enough. From the sound of it, he was quite fast.

"Uh, sir, could you fill out a survey for-"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

He was gaining on her. Closer and closer. She was going to be caught. She was going to be taken back to that room, and he wouldn't be forgiving. He would grab the tools, the sharp thing, **_he was going to hurt her again-_**

"UGH!"

A crashing sound was heard behind her, and the footsteps stopped. Had he...tripped? Surely she wasn't that lucky..

But if the footsteps had ceased, she was going to take the chance. She ran again, at a faster pace this time.

As she dashed down another street, then another, into crowds on the sidewalk, a demented howl of frustration shook throughout the night.

...

"Fucking leg...stupid people...STUPID GIRL!"

Kai Chisaki bellowed in anger as he marched through the compound of the Eight Precepts of Death. He was especially angry today. Everything had gone so wrong. He had never been this angry before, and it was to the point that even Chrono stayed out of his way when he arrived back at the compound following the inspection.

_How? _How had everything fallen apart so easily? The key to his success, the key to his new world, the key to restoring the world to where it should be, with Pops and him at the helm... it wasn't possible now. Without her, the plan was impossible. The bullets would be out of reach.

Everything he had worked for was now at stake. Everything came back to Eri. And if she was gone, it was all in jeopardy.

"_Okay. Calm down. She can't have gotten far. She's far too crippled right now to put much distance between us. I couldn't chase her earlier...running through public screaming for a girl that there isn't even any government records for...not a good idea. We're already suspicious to them as a designated villain group anyway. But we can look for her later, once Nemoto returns with the car."_

He narrowed his eyes, and glared out the window towards the night sky. What a tiresome night...a beer sounded nice right about now.

...

"Can we go to karaoke?"

"Please no..."

"Maybe the clothes store?"

"Don't need 'em!"

"Or maybe-!"

A sigh. "Let's just eat, Neji."

"Hmph! You guys are no fun."

Mirio, Tamaki, Nejire and Izuku wandered through Kiyashi Ward shopping mall, arguing all the way. They had been there for a few hours on an outing. The time till the U.A entrance exams was approaching fast, and the group of friends decided to take a break from their extensive training.

"We're kinda tired, you know? we've been wandering the mall all day...you're the only one with energy left right now." Izuku deadpanned.

Nejire gave a pout that in the eyes of Izuku, was the most adorable thing in the world.

_"Must...not...succumb!" _

With difficulty, Izuku gave a deep breath and faced his girlfriend. "Neji..."

"Fine...where will we eat though?" She asked, looking curious.

"I heard there's Korean place nearby that's pretty good!" suggested Mirio.

"As long as we can eat..." Tamaki mumbled.

"Sounds good," nodded Izuku.

Nejire then gave a little skip. "It's settled, then! We'll eat there! But right after that, we're going to the fashion store, ok? I wanna try stuff out!"  
The group gave nods as they set off towards the restaurant.

**2 Hours Later...**

Nejire waved goodbye to Tamaki and Mirio as she left Kiyashi Ward Shopping mall and left towards her home. Izuku had to go home early which left the three of them there, but what could you do.

She skipped home, with a cheer in her step. This day was a nice break from the constant training that they had been doing for the U.A entrance exams, and she had a date tomorrow with Izuku that she was really looking forward too. She knew that he had been overexerting himself in their training, so it was for his sake too.

Nejire reflected on her boyfriend's progress with All Might's quirk. Over the course of the last few months, Izuku had been trying his hardest to regulate One For All, and currently he could go up to 8 percent of the quirk without breaking anything in his body. But that other 92 percent...she didn't know much about the quirk, but Izuku had been training so hard these past few months...and only being able to control 8 percent currently made her wonder what her boyfriend would be capable of once he reached his full potential. He was already incredibly intelligent, being able to analyse information in an instant and craft scenarios and results in his head in mere seconds. He would be quite the opponent for anyone to face.

"Ughhh...ow..."

Nejire turned toward the source of the sudden noise-an alleyway a couple feet in front of her.

"_Should I go take a look? It sounds like their in pain..."_

"Agh..."

"_Yea...I should. I'm going to be a hero, right? I need to help people like this..."_

Nejire walked towards the alleyway and poked her head in slightly. But there was...nothing?

"_Huh? I was sure I heard someone...I'm not hallucinating, am I? God, that would be terrible!"_

She shook her head to regain focus. She squinted towards the end of the alleyway, but she still saw nothing. Maybe she was hallucinating...

"Uh...h-hello?"

She darted her head downwards, and saw something she didn't expect.

A little girl laid there on the cold, rocky ground, covered in cuts and bruises all over her body, as well as a few bandages here and there. She was dressed in rags, by the looks of it. Homeless, maybe. But that wasn't what was bothering her the most.  
The girl was looking at her with...something akin to terror in her eyes. She looked scared, nervous, and...surprised. Odd.

Nejire leaned down and put on the friendliest smile she could. "Hi there. don't be scared, ok? I'm here to help. Where are your parents?" Simple question to start off.

"I...I...I don't live with them. They died. I...have no home. I'm alone."

So she _was_ homeless. Poor thing. She looked so young...and she had no parents either. It reminded her of...

_**"I have no home. My dad abuses me, and my mom died two years ago. And a couple hours ago, my dad kicked me out of the house."**_

...herself.

A tear dropped from her eye. This was a child who had the same misfortune as herself when she was a kid...before she met Mirio, Tamaki and Izuku. Except, she had no friends to help her. Not like how she did when she ran away from home.

There was only one question now...what should she do?

_**"Why don't you come live with me?"**_ Mirio's words from that night echoed in her head.

She was just like her. Suffering the same circumstances.  
So...should she use the same solution?

As she gazed at the fearful girl, her heart tightened, and she made her decision.

"Why don't you come live with me and my friends?"

...

Was this really the right choice? She would be going to live with someone who she didn't even know until today. Many people wouldn't have done it.

But...this person. This girl, who had introduced herself as Nejire, she seemed...friendly, and approachable. She was nothing like _him..._and a home didn't sound too bad right now.

She felt bad for lying. Technically, she _did_ have a home. However, that home was with _him,_ and after she ran away, she didn't want to go back. She wanted to be with the people that were friendly, not like him. The people that _he_ had lied about all her life, but now that she had seen one in person, she wanted to stay with them  
Maybe this was a mistake. She prayed it wasn't.

She didn't want to talk about _him_ just yet. The terrors of that former home were still fresh in her mind. Maybe, if these people were as good as she was hoping for...one day, she would.

...

"FUCK! IT'S BEEN 4 HOURS! HOW HAS THERE NOT BEEN ANY SIGN OF HER?"

Kai Chisaki was absolutely livid. After four hours, four long, precious hours...there was still no sign of Eri. They had scoured the district that she had ran away in and all the surrounding areas, but...nothing. Every nook and cranny, every building, every possible place where a child could hide, but there was no trace of her.

They were now back in the car driving home. They couldn't search too long-people would get suspicious, and more problems were exactly what Chisaki _didn't_ need right now.

"So...what will we do now, boss?" Came the voice of Mimic.

Chisaki took a deep breath. "We still have some vials of blood left from before she ran. We continue our experiments and be more careful with how much we use. Beyond that, we have no choice but to track her down. The vials we have won't last forever-we need more...and Eri is the only source."

The Eight Precepts in the car with him listened closely.

"We'll need an agent to get into the government, or some sort of database to track down where she went. She'll want to take shelter somewhere. Every human has a base instinct for survival. We'll decide on the details later."

They gave their nods, and Chisaki sighed, glaring out the window.

"_I won't let this plan fail. This is all that I've worked on...years of effort, research and experiments all funneled into this one project. I won't fail, Pops. This is just a bump in the road. I **will**__ succeed. And when that day comes...you'll thank me."_

**_..._**

**Holy shit, it's been a while.**

**I'm not gonna get into details of what's happened over the last few months. I went through some personal issues, and I'll leave it at that. I hope you guys understand. I'd rather not disclose that information. **

**Also, over the last few weeks when I resumed work on this story, I also did a lot of editing to the storyline I had planned, as well as tons of changes. So I will go over the most important one now. **

**The core story has changed. As I've said before, in this story Izuku is the same age as the Big Three, and two years older then his canon classmates. So there is two years until they come in. So, the canon that we all know and love will be pushed back to when they do come into the picture. Originally, I was going to mold in the canon with the four friend's first two years and then make a new storyline for their final year, which is when the canon Class 1-A would join the story. However, I've changed it now. I will be writing the chapters focused around the group's first two years at U.A, and I will have my own storylines and villains to create arcs over those two years. Then, when Class 1-A comes into the picture, I will write the canon with twists to include the Big Three, and there will be one final, very important and original arc to end off the story. As to how far into the canon I'm going to go, I will probably stop at the cultural festival or maybe a little bit beyond that. While I would like to go as far as the war arc that's ongoing in the manga right now, that's going to take wayyyy too long and I'm not ready to write all of that. **

**So that's the plan. I'm not sure when I'll update again. I don't really have a clear schedule set in stone, so I'll update when the chapters are ready. As for when that will be, I have no idea. If I don't update for a while, don't worry about it. Only if I delete the story will mean that I have given up on it.**

**If you are still a fan of the story, I really, reaaallly appreciate that you stuck around. If you came across the story recently, welcome! **

**If you have any questions about the story or anything you want to say, be it praise or constructive criticism(and please only constructive, pure negativity doesn't help the story at all)then leave it in a review!**

**Also, PLEASE be safe during this whole coronavirus thing. Keep yourself sanitary and stay in your homes, do not put others at risk.**

**Anyways, I've rambled enough. Have a nice day, everyone!**


End file.
